‘Project Hail Mary’ to Outsell ‘They Will Kill You’ This Weekend
Amazon MGM Studios’ Project Hail Mary is holding strong in its second weekend. The film passed $100 million domestically on its sixth day of release.
Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directed and produced the heartfelt sci-fi dramedy. The film will remain in premium formats and IMAX venues.
Project Hail Mary looks set to outsell They Will Kill You this weekend. The title benefits from steady attendance during rolling spring breaks.
Spring break and box office dynamics
Comscore reports 16% of K-12 students are on break this week. Another 12% of college students are currently on break.
Those numbers will surge on Good Friday, April 3. Comscore projects 71% of K-12 and 34% of colleges off that day.
The spike coincides with Illumination, Universal and Nintendo’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie release. That film is expected to drive family attendance.
They Will Kill You: release outlook
They Will Kill You opened from New Line and Nocturna with a $20 million co-finance. Zazie Beetz headlines the R-rated thriller.
Kirill Sokolov directed the film. Producers include Andy and Barbara Muschietti.
- Domestic forecast: $10 million.
- International forecast: $10 million from 65 territories.
- Key territories: France, Germany, Italy, Australia, Mexico, Spain and the UK.
The movie plays on roughly 7,000 screens worldwide, including 2,700 U.S. locations. Previews begin at 3 p.m. ahead of the opening day.
Beetz plays a housekeeper in a New York high-rise. She uncovers a pattern of disappearances and escalating danger.
Early tracking sits slightly below Send Help, Ready or Not 2 and Companion. The audience skew is even among men and women over 25.
Rotten Tomatoes shows a 71% critic fresh rating. The film closed SXSW as the festival’s final night screening.
Comparative context and recent releases
Last weekend, Searchlight’s Ready or Not 2: Here I Come grossed about $9 million. That title launched with 30% offshore receipts.
Ready or Not 2 played in 21 offshore territories and grossed $2.8 million internationally. Its global start reached $11.8 million.
Demographic splits for Ready or Not 2 leaned slightly female at 52%. Men made up 48%, with men over 25 at 37% and women over 25 at 36%.
Project Hail Mary is eyeing a hold similar to March’s Dune: Part Two, which posted a -44% second-weekend drop at $45 million. That comparison frames expectations.
Other wide openings: Forbidden Fruits
IFC is expanding Meredith Alloway’s Forbidden Fruits to 1,525 theaters. The forecast range sits between $1.5 million and $3.5 million.
The film stars Lili Reinhart and also premiered strongly at SXSW. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists it at 76% fresh.
The story centers on a mall store where Apple leads a secret witch cult. New hire Pumpkin forces the group to confront inner darkness.
Alloway co-adapted the screenplay with playwright Lily Houghton. The stage play carried the original title Of the woman came the beginning of sin and through her we all die.
Filmogaz.com will continue to track weekend grosses and audience trends. Expect updated totals and further analysis after box office reporting closes.
